Comeback Comes Up Short In Florence
Gateway rallies for seven runs in last four innings, but not enough in series opener
Sauget, Ill. (June 28, 2024) – The Gateway Grizzlies fell behind 10-0 in the first four innings against the Florence Y'alls on Friday night, a deficit that turned out to be just a little too large in what became an 11-7 loss at Thomas More Stadium despite a late surge offensively.
T.J. Reeves opened the scoring in the second inning with a solo home run off Kaleb Hill (2-1), with Florence adding another run later in the frame on a sacrifice fly by Sergio Gutierrez for a 2-0 lead. In the third inning, though, it would turn into an early blowout, as Hill struggled with command, walking three batters and giving up six runs on a two-run double by Reeves and a Gutierrez grand slam, putting the Y'alls up 8-0.
Hill would surrender two more runs in the fourth while walking two more batters to put Gateway behind 10-0 before the first bright spot of the night arrived on the mound in the person of Joel Condreay. The right-hander threw with a purpose, retiring the first nine batters he faced, and ended up finishing the game with a career-long four-inning appearance, surrendering only one run.
Gateway's offense was stifled by Y'alls starter Reed Smith (4-0) until the sixth inning, when Gabe Holt led off with a walk, and following a single and a wild pitch, he scored on an RBI groundout by D.J. Stewart to make it 10-1. In the seventh inning, Jack-Thomas Wold and Cole Brannen reached base on a single and a walk, respectively, before Abdiel Diaz slammed a three-run home run deep to right field, clearing the Florence bullpen on the fly and drawing the Grizzlies within 10-4 at stretch time.
The Grizzlies would keep up the pressure on reliever Joe Kemlage in the last two innings as well, as after stranding runners on second and third base in the eighth, they got Brannen and Diaz aboard in the ninth before Peter Zimmermann cranked a three-run bomb to left-center field to make the score 11-7. But that is as close as the Grizzlies would get in dropping the first game of their short road trip.
The Grizzlies will look to bounce back and even the series in the middle game on Saturday, June 29, at 5:36 p.m. CT, with Collin Sullivan on the mound against Florence right-hander Blake Loubier at Thomas More Stadium.
The Gateway Grizzlies are a professional baseball team, located a mere 10 minutes from downtown St. Louis in Sauget, Illinois. The Grizzlies offer baseball fans affordable, family fun at Grizzlies Ballpark with a great view of the St. Louis skyline. They have also won two Frontier League Organization of the Year Awards, four West Division titles, and the 2003 Frontier League Championship. For tickets or general information, please visit gatewaygrizzlies.com or call (618) 337-3000.
The Frontier League debuted in 1993, and is the largest of the Major League Baseball Partner Leagues, featuring teams stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, and from the Ohio River to the St. Lawrence Seaway. More information and the complete 2024 schedule can be found at frontierleague.com.